Uranium Dragon
However, humans referred to it more as the Glowing King Dragon.
Residing in the no-man’s-land of North Korea, it had little contact with humans. Still, anyone who had caught even a glimpse would unanimously described them as glowing dinosaurs shimmering with bizarre light. The folks aboard the Hunter Train were no different.
[Mother-frs!]
[Hurry up and kill it!]
[As the People’s Dragon of the Great Leader, show a proactive breath here!]
The reason the Uranium Dragons were so confident didn’t stem solely from their strength gained by consuming radiation.
They were already well aware of how serious a threat their radiation posed to other living beings and monsters.
The reason the real dragons in their homeland, the Dragon World, avoided fighting against the Glowing King Dragons was that, beyond strength, just standing still allowed the Glowing King Dragons to emit radiation infused with mana that could collapse cells and internal mana.
Thus, their battle strategy was simple.
While it was ideal to shoot their radiation breath and take down the opponent, if the opponent didn’t die, they would patiently wait for their radiation to decay the enemy’s body instead of clashing head-on.
The radiation imbued with dragon mana had a stronger effect than any poison. No matter how long it lasted, death would occur within about 20 minutes, bleeding from all orifices. Even if they didn’t die, the collapse of cells would render them unable to fight.
Therefore, the Glowing King Dragons had confidence.
While their improved bodies and radiation breath were evidence of their strength, they believed that even the strongest human couldn’t dispose of them within the 30 seconds it took for the radiation to infiltrate their bodies.
Hence, the Glowing King Dragons aimed to quickly take down the leading humans and seize the various power sources and Griden minerals stored on the Hunter Train, as well as the massive food supply responsible for feeding the thousand individuals aboard.
The 30 Uranium Dragons, which could be considered their main force, headed toward the dining car where food was stored. They planned to waste time against the humans here while waiting for the radiation to decay their cells and then retreat when they saw the results.
But…
From afar, they noticed bright, shining silver hair.
And surely, if a jewel dragon saw it, it would drool over the beautiful, deep golden eyes.
An undeniable presence was marked by the Seongnyeok pouch.
Isia, the Mangja Seongnyeo.
The moment she appeared, the most lethal dragon radiation for humans was nullified.
“In the name of Meat, Fairies, Cuisine, and Starlight….”
[Miracle – Great Purification]
ZZZTTTTT!
“Purification beam!!!!!”
Shia’s golden eyes sparkled, and then, centering around her, an intangible energy, blended with white and gold, shot out in 360 degrees like a beam weapon.
Everywhere the light touched, it purified all the malevolent and vile radiation of the Glowing King Dragons. This effect also applied to the hunters’ bodies, which had been debuffed by the radiation.
No one anticipated that the tide of battle would change due to a single existence.
Neither the Glowing King Dragons releasing their nuclear breath nor the hunters fighting them.
If it were other hunters, they surely would have panicked or hesitated, giving the Glowing King Dragons time to react. Still, those directly engaged in combat were seasoned S-grade hunters who quickly grasped the situation and dived into battle.
As a result, the Glowing King Dragons, unable to gain an overwhelming advantage in the early stages, started falling one by one.
“Hahahahaha! Thanks, white sister! That purification beam is so cool!”
Feeling liberated from radiation thanks to Shia’s purification, Jeus burst out laughing, turning into lightning and swiftly moving to crush the spines of the Glowing King Dragons, creating an easier environment for the other hunters to hunt them.
“If you want, I’ll give you a chance to spend the night with me…!”
“…….”
“Oh, got it! Don’t leave me hanging!”
Even in the midst of all this, Jeus didn’t stop sending flirty glances at Shia.
“Man, how cold… But that’s kind of charming too!”
CRACKLE!
What happened afterward was obvious.
Originally, Shia couldn’t bear to see people die in front of her, so she planned to fight the Glowing King Dragons at full power, regardless of onlookers. However, the S-grade hunters, having recovered from the radiation, annihilated the Glowing King Dragons without her needing to intervene.
One Uranium Dragon could trample A-grade hunters like insects, but the story changed when it came to S-grade hunters.
One Glowing King Dragon was pierced through its entire body with spikes made of blood.
Another was rotting, drained of vitality by blackened wood, while yet another was crushed as if ground in a compactor.
Even though Uranium Dragons were S-grade monsters, the S-grade hunters had already slaughtered countless monsters far stronger.
While Uranium Dragons were threatening when swinging their tails or claws, S-grade hunters could easily be regarded as the strongest weapons of their countries; thus, the outcome was inevitable.
Of course, had it not been for Shia, they might’ve been close to annihilation due to the dragon mana-infused radiation, but fundamentally, the power balance favored the S-grade hunters significantly.
[Drops of Blood]
[GUAAAAH!]
[Heavenly Thunder!]
[Great Leader, Comrade… Long live…!]
And with that, the last remaining Glowing King Dragon, holding out in battle, was split in half by a golden axe swung by Hoshimachi Yukinko, an S-grade hunter from Japan.
Finally, Jeus’ lightning turned the Glowing King Dragon’s body into an electric barbecue, leaving it to collapse helplessly while shouting about being the People’s Dragon.
“Haha, it’s burning~ burning~!”
“Ugh, these madmen.”
“I didn’t think I’d hear North Korean slang again in my long life…”
“Is that the language of North Korea?”
“The tone is very strange…”
“Those guys say that in broadcasts or official diplomatic documents as well.”
“Yeah, no way… Even in official documents, they wouldn’t use terms as rude as ‘f*ing American pig.’”
The S-grade hunters then waved or nodded at Shia.
Despite being quite far away, they realized that Shia had purified the radiation that was deteriorating their bodies.
“Hey, thanks!”
“What’s your name?”
“Nice move!”
“Thank you! I’ll treat you to dinner later!”
“Everyone doing alright?”
“Yes! Thanks to you!”
Still smiling kindly, Shia appeared happy, but greed also shimmered in the eyes of those approaching her.
“Hey, Shia-sshi…”
“Yes?”
“If you have a moment, I can treat you, so let’s talk for a bit…”
“Hey, don’t cut in! If it’s Shia, would you like to join our guild?”
“With you, I can definitely earn money, and I bet I could rank up to S-grade in no time!”
“Shia, I’m the master of the Muglar guild from India! Since you saved me, I’d like to repay the favor by inviting you to our guild…!”
Generally speaking, the Awakened in the hunter world excelled in offensive and combat abilities.
There’s a reason potion developers and non-combat support Awakened ones are treated like aristocrats.
They are rare! And there’s practically no one with effective recovery or purification skills in situations like this.
Detox and recovery potions aren’t all-powerful.
For radiation like this, detox potions might not work at all, and depending on the type of poison, detox potions may or may not be effective. Moreover, potion developers can’t make every kind of potion, and specialists are categorized according to different Monster or Dungeon toxin.
But compared to that, Shia is a ‘Miracle that purifies harm.’
Not only poisons but also bacteria, impurities, and even dragon mana-infused radiation were purified, ridding humans of anything harmful.
If one didn’t recognize the usefulness and applicability of that miracle, they wouldn’t have been able to rank up to S-grade.
Even without showcasing her other miracles or powers, the miracle Shia demonstrated just now was enough for any hunter with sense to understand that she was a must-have asset.
“Ahahaha….”
Shia looked troubled.
She basically liked people enough to want to ignore and walk away.
Well, she had been quite upfront with Yujin and a few other jerks, as well as Jeus, right from the start, but Shia was a saint.
She wouldn’t resort to violence for such trivial matters.
‘Well, if I just endure and answer them vaguely, they’ll probably fall away…’
“Hey, this girl is mine.”
“?”
What did this guy just say?
Suddenly, as Jeus naturally wrapped an arm over her shoulder, Shia’s eyes momentarily filled with blood vessels.
It was surprising how smoothly he came in, but the shock of this brazen guy’s remarks seemed to shock her brain and leave her unable to process the scenario.
“This…”
“Of all people, Jeus…”
“Ugh, I guess this girl’s recruitment is over.”
“Uh… huh?”
What’s this?
Is he really helping now?
As Shia glanced subtly at Jeus, she saw him wink with a greasy smile.
Even if Shia regularly exhibited foolhardy behavior and blathered nonsense, she wasn’t naive enough to miss cue signals in situations like this.
Sometimes she might act dense, but this time she wondered why the notorious playboy Jeus was trying to help her.
“Uh, Shia Hunter! At least let me say something…”
“Hey.”
“What is it, Jeus! I’m with Shia Hunter…!”
“If you keep bothering my girl…”
ZZZZT!
“Got it?”
“… Tch.”
As Jeus’ fingers crackled with lightning, the S-grade hunters originally hoping to recruit Shia into their guild had no choice but to give up.
While Jeus was notorious for his womanizing, he was also known for his possessive tendencies.
It would be like declaring war against the Olympus Guild itself to touch her.
Of course, that meant there were many bad rumors always swirling around Jeus, and the Olympus Guild itself had plenty of enemies. But the moment he said, ‘my girl,’ no one would dare touch her anymore.
“Let’s go.”
“See you later, Shia-sshi!”
“There might still be Glowing Dragons left…”
“If Jeus is around, we’ve already missed that chance.”
“Such a waste…”
After wrapping his arm around Shia, Jeus led the rest of the S-grade hunters to search for any Uranium Dragons that might still be lingering.
Shia stared at Jeus for a moment, and he confirmed the hunters had backed away before releasing his hand from her shoulder.
“Sorry, sorry, white sister. I said I wouldn’t get in your way again… but, you know, it’s the situation, right? Please understand?”
“……”
Shia looked at Jeus for a while.
Still the same, obnoxious, flashy persona…
But for the sake of the golden sun to attract the ire of the other hunters for her benefit, he took on this subtle action?
Internally, Shia made a slight adjustment to her evaluation of Jeus.
As a first impression, he ranked low, but there was something quite likable about him compared to other liars.
‘Ugh, using the idea of a “dummy enemy” must have made me hungry all of a sudden.’
It hadn’t been long since her last meal…
[GRUMBLE, GRRRUMBLE…]
“Not so impressive, huh?”
Teresa flicked her fingers, glancing at the Uranium Dragons hanging limply in the air.
Of course, they weren’t in a normal state.
The Glowing King Dragons, pierced through by thousands of violet mana threads, were literally toyed with at Teresa’s whim.
It wasn’t just one or two.
At least more than ten Uranium Dragons were torn apart by Teresa alone.
The [Void Dragon Doll] Teresa had summoned was long gone, but by the time the doll had disappeared, the Glowing King Dragons had already turned into that state.
One Uranium Dragon that previously intended to offer Teresa as a prize instead found itself suffering agonizing pain, skinned alive while dripping radiated blood.
Killing a dragon.
Hunting a dragon.
Torturing a dragon.
In the previous world, Teresa Catherine held the deadly title of [Dragon Slayer].
Of course, generally, dragons with intelligence would cooperate with the saints or warriors from the empire or at least sign non-aggression pacts. However, if they acted arrogantly, intoxicated by their power, Teresa didn’t need to call upon Shia or Menelapie; she would take it upon herself to smack that dragon around.
She could nullify any spells a dragon could use and render their breaths futile, all while preserving their sturdy skin and wings.
Even though she had weakened some from losing her own original body, with just a tiny bit of mana borrowed from Menelapie, killing a dragon was as easy as pie for Teresa.
And she had done it all alone, without the assistance of Menelapie, Elizaveta IV, or Yeonhwa.
“Wahhaha! That was quite the entertaining sight!”
Even Elizaveta IV seemed to find joy in Teresa’s displayed skills, bursting into cheerful laughter.
“Just looking at them, they seem like S-grade monsters, yet you just utterly annihilated them! Wahhaha! Amazing! Incredible!”
“… Shush.”
“Haha, was it Teresa Catherine, right? Truly, as Shia-san spoke of you, the best black witch indeed! I see why Shia would praise and commend you so highly!”
“… Hmph.”
While Teresa wasn’t one for flattery, it was a different story when it was Shia who spoke it.
Though she turned her head in a huff, it was evident she was in a better mood than before.
“Hey everyone~!”
“Hello, Sister.”
“Haha, you’ve arrived!”
“What took so long, porky?”
“I was worried people might be in danger, so I took a detour.”
In fact, if Shia hadn’t gone, the front section of the Hunter Train would have been wiped out.
If she had been even a second late, many lives would have been lost.
“Wow! As expected from Teresa! Are these still alive!?”
“Yeah, so what?”
Shia glanced at the Glowing King Dragons hanging helplessly, moaning, and licked her lips.
Their condition.
Top-notch.
Though in a rather pathetic state, the Glowing King Dragons were still alive.
“Let’s make galbijjim out of that!”
“…….?”
At that, Teresa’s face turned pale.
“Wahhaha! Saint Shia has quite the sense of humor!”
“……. Hah.”
“What’s up with their reactions? Hey, Yeonhwa Hunter and Menelapie, how can one develop an appetite looking at that?! Besides, creating galbijjim from that?! I’m no Korean, but it’s common sense that you can’t make galbijjim out of something like that! Clearly, Saint Shia is making a mischievous joke!”
“….. Ahahaha.”
“Hmm, indeed…”
“Is it a joke… right?”
Then, Elizaveta IV and Lilybet’s faces also began turning ashen.
“Right? No way?”
